[Sidenote: The hours of labour.]
On June 9th the Unionists were on another line. They professed to think
that if the Irish Legislature were not compelled to do so they would not
prevent overwork and long hours. This led to the proposal that all
legislation on hours of labour should be taken out of the hands of the
Irish Parliament. Mr. Chamberlain argued this with his tongue in his
cheek--professing to dread the unequal competition in which poor England
would be placed if wealthy Ireland were allowed to compete unfairly by
longer hours. He urged this in a speech directed to every absurd
prejudice and alarm which the ignorant or the timid could
feel--altogether made a most unworthy contribution. John Burns--breezy,
outspoken--not friendly to all things done by the Liberals in the past,
but firm in his Home Rule faith--went for Mr. Chamberlain in good,
honest, sledge-hammer, and workmanlike fashion. The member for Battersea
even dared to blaspheme Birmingham--the Mecca of the industrial
world--for its notoriously bad record in industrial matters--an attack
which Joe seemed in no way to relish. And all the time the Old Man--with
his hand to his ear, and sitting on the very end of the Treasury Bench,
so as to be nearer the speaker--listened attentively, sympathetically,
occasionally uttering that fine leonine cheer of his.
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